Week 3: What is a Neuron

Question 1

What is a neuron?

Answer 1

a specialized cell that controls human behaviour

Question 2

What are the three different types of neurons and what do they do?

Answer 2

1. Afferent: sends messages between sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin) to the brain & spinal cord
2. Efferent: sends messages between muscles, glands to the brain & spinal cord enabling us to move
3. Interneurons: sends messages between the brain and the spinal cord

Question 3

What are the three components that make up the anatomy of a neuron?

Answer 3

1. The Cell Body (soma): performs all life sustaining and metablolic functions of the cel
2. Dendrites: Receive all incoming messages for the cell but can also receive messages from the soma which can help shape their response to future signals (back propogating)
3. Axon: Transmitting end of the neuron with axon terminal which transmits signals to other neurons

Question 4

What are Glial cells?

Answer 4

• specialized cell that facilitate brain function
• smaller than neurons
• many different types

Functions:
- help to hold neurons together
- help remove dead neurons from the brain
- perform metabolic tasks
- assist in generating new cells
- helps produce myelin for cell transmitting tasks
- assists in generating new cells
- facilitates creation of cerebrospinal fluid
- helps to communicate transmission of pain